big easy

Here's this mornings Noaa lake conditions report Tonight's wave heights are 13 to 17 on the west end,and 15-19 on the east end. Don't think the kicker would work very well. LAKE ONTARIO OPEN WATERS FROM THE NIAGARA RIVER TO HAMLIN BEACH- 336 AM EST THU DEC 10 2009 ...STORM WARNING IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS EVENING... .TODAY...SOUTHWEST GALES TO 45 KNOTS WITH STORM FORCE GUSTS...BECOMING WEST. SNOW. WAVES 12 TO 16 FEET. .TONIGHT...WEST GALES TO 40 KNOTS. SNOW. WAVES 13 TO 17 FEET. .FRIDAY...WEST GALES TO 40 KNOTS BECOMING 40 KNOTS. SNOW SHOWERS. WAVES 11 TO 15 FEET. .FRIDAY NIGHT...WEST GALES TO 40 KNOTS DIMINISHING TO 30 KNOTS OVERNIGHT. A CHANCE OF SNOW SHOWERS. WAVES 10 TO 14 FEET. .SATURDAY...WEST WINDS TO 30 KNOTS BECOMING SOUTH AND DIMINISHING TO 10 TO 15 KNOTS IN THE AFTERNOON. A CHANCE OF SNOW SHOWERS... THEN A CHANCE OF FLURRIES. WAVES 6 TO 9 FEET SUBSIDING TO 2 TO 4 FEET. .SUNDAY...SOUTH WINDS 5 TO 10 KNOTS BECOMING SOUTHWEST. WAVES 1 TO 2 FEET. .MONDAY...SOUTH WINDS 5 TO 10 KNOTS BECOMING SOUTHEAST. A CHANCE OF SNOW SHOWERS. WAVES 1 TO 2 FEET. $$ LOZ063>065-101530- LAKE ONTARIO OPEN WATERS FROM HAMLIN BEACH TO THE SAINT LAWRENCE RIVER- 336 AM EST THU DEC 10 2009 ...STORM WARNING IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS EVENING... .TODAY...SOUTHWEST GALES TO 45 KNOTS WITH STORM FORCE GUSTS...BECOMING WEST. SNOW. WAVES 13 TO 17 FEET. .TONIGHT...WEST GALES TO 40 KNOTS. SNOW. WAVES 15 TO 19 FEET. .FRIDAY...WEST GALES TO 40 KNOTS. AREAS OF BLOWING SNOW. SNOW. WAVES 14 TO 18 FEET. .FRIDAY NIGHT...WEST GALES TO 40 KNOTS DIMINISHING TO 30 KNOTS OVERNIGHT. SNOW SHOWERS LIKELY. WAVES 14 TO 18 FEET SUBSIDING TO 10 TO 13 FEET. .SATURDAY...WEST WINDS TO 30 KNOTS BECOMING SOUTH AND DIMINISHING TO 10 TO 15 KNOTS IN THE AFTERNOON. SNOW SHOWERS LIKELY...THEN A CHANCE OF FLURRIES. WAVES 9 TO 12 FEET SUBSIDING TO 3 TO 5 FEET. .SUNDAY...SOUTH WINDS 5 TO 15 KNOTS BECOMING SOUTHWEST. WAVES 2 TO 4 FEET SUBSIDING TO 1 TO 3 FEET. .MONDAY...SOUTH WINDS 5 TO 10 KNOTS BECOMING SOUTHEAST. A CHANCE OF SNOW SHOWERS. WAVES 2 FEET OR LESS. .

Believe me, I am worried about the current serious problems that we are facing as a country,and rest assured that all my representative know about it.I am not one to sit still and say nothing. As for sitting back and leaving it in the hands of "environmentalists, I can't feel comfortable doing that,because no matter how much the so called environmentalists try and help,their strings are being worked by politicians,and what have politicians done for us lately? Sitting back never got the population of this country anywhere.sitting back and waiting,no matter what the issue is or was,never benefited any of us. A population of people sitting back and waiting,got us right where we are in this country at the present time. Pardon my rant,it's not aimed at you.I just think that what ever the issue is,most people take a much to casual approach to them.Squeaky wheels get the grease.It's time to get squeaking.

This is really nothing to laugh at,and could very well create major problems for those of us that fish the great lakes.Do a little research on these nasty fish,and you'll soon see how terrible things could become.They would be far worse of a threat to the great lakes than the Zebra and Quagga mussels. Let's hope the Rotenone treatments work,because it will be just a matter of time before they reach lake O. we won't have to worry about the wind turbines making fishing impossible,because these nasty things will have already changed things for the worse.

Is that Honda you're running a high thrust model?The high thrust models make a significant difference over regular kicker motors.They not only run a bigger prop to push heavier loads,but the gear ratio is different as well. I ran Yamaha kickers on my last two boats,a 9.9 high thrust on my 22' Trophy,and the T8 high thrust on my current 23' Seacraft.I never had any problems at all maintaining speed on windy days with either setup.In fact,I think the T8 actually pushes the 23 footer better then the 9.9 pushed the Trophy.I'm at around 5500 pounds with the seacraft loaded and the 8 pushes it easily. I will say that the trophy was a PIA in the wind though,if you had to let go of the wheel to net a fish.The minute you'd take your hands off it,the boat would spin around in circles. On the Seacraft,I can let go of the wheel,and easily net a fish,or walk away for a bit,and the boat remains on course very well. The difference between the hulls is the reason.The seacraft hull is a very deep V,(24 degree deadrise) while the Trophy was much less.The deeper v accounts for better tracking when going slow.I also mounted the kicker lower on the Seacraft,so the prop gets a better bite. I don't think increasing horsepower will help you very much.None of these motors will get your hull up to planing speed,and that's where horsepower comes into play.The twenty horse is not going to make your boat any more responsive to wind. You might want to try lowering the engine to get the prop deeper into the water.I noticed a big difference in control when I did that.I also ran the Long shaft versions of the Yamaha kickers,which is 20"(it's plenty).

I bought a Yamaha high thrust T8 last year,and ran it all season.It's an awesome motor.I also love the electric start and,absolutely love the power tilt feature,no more fiddling with trying to raise and lower a bracket,just push a button at the front,or on the motor to raise or drop it. I ran a 9.9 Yamaha on my previous boat,and the T8 is every bit as powerful. It pushes my boat 5500 lbs no problem.Troll all day 10 -12 hrs for days on end,and it never misses a beat.When I start it I have to ask my buddies if it's running,because it's so quiet. My old 9.9 was a little hard to start at times,but the T8 starts great. I'm sure the Merc is very nice as well,I know a few guys with them and are very satisfied.I don't think you'll go wrong no matter which brand you decide on. Dealer accessibility might be something to check into,in case you ever need service.It's nice not to have to make a long road trip to have work done or to get parts.I will say that I ran my old 9.9 Yammie for ten tears and only had to replace a fuel pump,never had to fix anything else.

My Yamaha T8 is also a long shaft.I set the mount height so that the anti cavitation plate is just an inch or so below the hull bottom. The kicker easily clears the 12 x 12 trim tabs.and trolls perfectly with no cavitation at higher speeds where it's located. When it's tilted all the way up,it's completely out of the water,and there are no issues with rooster tails etc.None of it is in the water when I'm under power with the I/O. I had a 9.9 kicker on my 22 Trophy mounted on a Garelick Offshore adjustable bracket,and even when it was raised all the way up,a few inches of the prop remained in the water,which did cause a little rooster tail and some drag while under power. This fixed mount solved that problem.

The kicker and bracket together only adds 120 lbs or so to the rear,and my boat is glass and pretty heavy.(about 4500 lbs)so it doesn't affect the towing at all. I don't remove it,it's bolted on.we ran kickers on smaller aluminum boats,and never removed the motors when trailering.

Andy,It hasn't been a problem at all netting fish off the back.The kicker never seems to get in the way to any serious degree.I can honestly say that in all the days we fished last season,netting fish never was an issue because of the kicker. Now the netter; that's! a different story,sometimes he just did a crappy job,if you know what I mean. Actually,the setback difference between this bracket,and an adjustable model aren't that much,It's only a few inches. I never had to tie the motor down while under power,when running in.The Yamaha locks in place when it's raised all the way,and you have to release the locking mechanism to lower the motor when you want to troll. I've powered in at planing speed plenty of times in some real snotty conditions(ask my buddies)and the kicker remained nice and stable. In contrast,the kicker on my last boat would bounce around all over the place on that adjustable bracket. I only trailer it about a quarter mile to the ramp,so that's not a problem,but I trailered it 400 miles up to Olcott from my home with it down and again,no issues.I didn't have to use any tie downs on it. PS: Once you troll with a 4 stroke kicker you'll wonder how you did without one.I actually have to ask the guys in the boat if it's running,when I start it.It purrs like a kitten if I can use that expression. The safety factor of another means of power also makes it a good choice.It will get you home if the main engine fails.

WOW! I didn't see the first reply by sponge,sorry about that.That's the same bracket,I'm running.It's much cheaper to buy it from adventure direct.I think I paid $325.00 for it when I bought it a couple years ago.Looks like it went up a few bucks.

Adventure Marine makes a one piece kicker bracket that will allow you to tilt your power trim kicker all the way up. You don't need a "sink",you just need enough distance from the face of the transom to the to where the motor is mounted on the bracket.This bracket easily allows you the distance. I have one on my newly finished 23' with long shaft T8 Yamaha kicker with power trim and tilt,and love it.I steer it with an EZ-Steer rod ,and it works great. This is one hell of a solid bracket,and after a full season of running the kicker on it,I would never go back to an adjustable bracket.I can easily tilt the engine all the way up without any interference,and with no problems at all with the control cables or wiring . I ran a Garelick offshore bracket on my previous boat,and while it was good,it didn't come close to the strength and ease of use as the Adventure solid model. No more screwing around with raising and lowering a bracket.Just push a button and the motor comes up. It is also extremely strong.I bolted it to the transom with 7/16 stainless bolts with a aluminum backer plate inside,and I (240 lbs) stood on it and jumped up and down with no issues.Their literature lists its capacity around 150 lbs,but that is way way under rated. Their website is below,they ship quick,and are easy to deal with. https://www.adventuremarine.net/product ... &do=detail Here's a few pictures of it on my boat.The last shows it tilted all the way up,when we were coming into the chute. Hope this helped.

Thanks Borderline, Would that be a similar reason why rubber worms will melt some types of plastics?

Boy I have to stay away from this subject,because I DESPISE this administration currently in power.I'm angry enough after I search the political forums on other sites.I want to rant,but I'm going to control myself.All I'm going to say,is I hope we have real "change in 2010 and 2012,and throw him and his kooks the he-ll out. I'm going to shut up before I end up turning into the hulk(without the muscles though).

Wow,that sucks. Cannons bodies,are made out of a Polycarbonate like Lexan, Maybe the info below will help. I copied the following from a few sites on Polycarbonates *********************************************************************************************** Polycarbonate does have its disadvantages. It has only fair chemical resistance and is attacked by many organic solvents. It is also fairly expensive compared to other plastics. It has been as much as double the price of ABS. In applications where lower heat and impact are needed, ABS can be quite a bargain compared to polycarbonate. Alcohol or high-petroleum-content cleaners are even more destructive to aftermarket windshields made of Lexan®. Spritz a little alcohol on one of these windshields and it immediately turns milky white. I had a customer tell me he destroyed his windshield while refilling his fuel tank. The hose nozzle sprung loose, gushing gasoline all over the inside of his Lexan windshield. Was he angry! ******************************************************************************************************************* WILL DAMAGE POLYCARBONATE * Alkali bleaches such as sodium hypochlorite * Acetone * Acrylonitrile * Ammonia * Amyl acetate * Benzene * Bromine * Butyl acetate * Sodium hydroxide * Chloroform * Dimethylformamide * Concentrated hydrochloric acid * Concentrated hydrofluoric acid * Iodine * Methanol * Methyl ethyl ketone * Styrene * Tetrachloroethylene * Toluene * Concentrated sulfuric acid * Xylene * Cyanoacrylate monomers ************************************* REQUIRE CAUTION * Cyclohexanone * Diesel oil * Formic acid * Gasoline * Glycerine * Heating oil * Jet fuel * Concentrated perchloric acid * Sulfur dioxide * Turpentine ***************************************** CONSIDERED SAFE * Acetic acid * Ammonium chloride * Antimony trichloride * Borax in H2O * Butane * Calcium chloride * Calcium hypochlorite * Carbon dioxide * Carbon monoxide * Citric acid 10% * Copper(II) sulfate * Ethyl alcohol, i.e. ethanol 95% * Ethylene glycol * Formaldehyde 10% * Hydrochloric acid 20% * Hydrofluoric acid 5% * Isopropyl alcohol * Mercury * Methane * Oxygen * Ozone * Sulfur * Urea * Waterâ€

Erin,I have someone who's interested in that unit you have.Give me a call.I lost all my programmed tel numbers,and can't call you.

As mentioned,by bobbersdown,Ebay may be your best bet if you're looking to cut costs. I Searched all the arch makers for my tower on my new boat,and got prices from 1,500 to 4,000 dollars. I ended up having a custom arch made specifically for my brand and model of boat.It's 1.9 inch aluminum tubing with six gold anodized rod holders.Very solid I can hang on it(240lbs)with no flex at all. It ended up costing me 1,800 bucks,and that included the freight, charge of 100 dollars from NJ. I got several prices from custom fabricators that were well over three grand,but that was to much for my wallet. Of course that included the installation and running the wires for the electronics. I had to mount the arch,and run all the wires myself,but is was no big deal,and well worth the cost savings.

Painted my 18' starcraft with Sunfire two part urethane,from Sherwin williams automotive division.If you want a bullet proof paint that will last for years and years.this stuff is incredible,although expensive. they use it on airplanes and fleet trucks. It does however need to be sprayed.I stripped the boat to bare aluminum,then shot it with a vinyl etching primer,followed by a coat of jet seal sealer,then the finish coat of Sunfire. I ran that boat hard for twelve years,and it looked as good when i sold it,as it did the day after I painted it. Another option as mentioned is to apply a good brushable two part marine urethane,like Interlux Perfection,or Epifanes two part urethanes,they have beautiful gloss,and are very durable.They can be applied with the roll and tip method,that will give close to sprayed look,and last for a very long time. These are definitely do it yorself paints with a pro finish.

I think almost all the major brands of down riggers are very good,and personal preference is what's important,so which ever one suits your needs the best,is the way to go.. I Ran Cannons for years and years,and they were always good.In twenty years,I only had to replace a few switches,and a couple boom ends with the pulleys. Recently,I put new riggers on my new boat,and decided to go with Scotty's,and I'm glad I did.You get a lot for the money,compared with some other brands.They are are fast, the telescopic feature on the booms is very easy to use,the counters never have to be readjusted,the amp draw is low,and they have a great warranty. I also like the way the beads work the short stops.It's a very simple design,and works perfectly,no printed circuit board to deal with.Overall they are a great product.

Please take a couple of seconds to read this,and go to the link to protect our fishing on the Great Lakes.I copied this from Mr.Dave Mull,from Great lakes angler. FEDS TO 60 MILLION AMERICAN ANGLERS: WE DON'T NEED YOU IRVINE, Calif. USA - October 5, 2009 - A recently published administration document outlines a structure that could result in closures of sport fishing in salt and freshwater areas across America. The White House created an Interagency Oceans Policy Task Force in June and gave them only 90 days to develop a comprehensive federal policy for all U.S. coastal, ocean and Great Lakes waters. Under the guise of 'protecting' these areas, the current second phase of the Task Force direction is to develop zoning which may permanently close vast areas of fishing waters nationwide. This is to be completed by December 9, 2009. Dave Pfeiffer, President of Shimano American Corporation explained, "In spite of extensive submissions from the recreational fishing community to the Task Force in person and in writing, they failed to include any mention of the over one million jobs or the 6o million anglers which may be affected by the new policies coast to coast. Input from the environmental groups who want to put us off the water was adopted into the report verbatim - the key points we submitted as an industry were ignored." Recreational fishing generates a $125 billion annual economy in the United States and supports jobs in every state according to government figures. Through the Sport Fish Restoration program, anglers have provided more than $5 billion through excise taxes on fishing tackle to fishery conservation and education for decades. In addition to the economic aspects, anglers lead the nation in volunteer conservation efforts on behalf of improving fish habitat, water quality and related environmental areas. "There was no mention of the fishery conservation efforts which anglers have led for over 50 years in every state - an environmental success story that has no equal in the world", said Phil Morlock, Director, Environmental Affairs for Shimano. "The Task Force did not make any distinction between the dramatic differences between harmful commercial fishing harvest methods and recreational fishing, even though we spelled it out for them in detail," added Morlock. Claiming to be the result of a public consultation process the report states, "Having considered a broad range of public comments, this report reflects the requests and concerns of all interested parties." The original White House memo and not surprisingly the Task Force report contains multiple references to developing a national policy where Great Lakes and coastal regions are managed, consistent with international law, including customary international law as reflected in the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea - a 300-page treaty the U.S. has never ratified. "We question what implications there will be for state authority and jurisdiction in the Great Lakes and coastal regions if the U.S. adopts the U.N. Treaty," said Pfeiffer. The report makes it clear that future authority for implementing the policy for coastal and inland waters will fall under White House jurisdiction with a new National Ocean Council comprised of over 20 federal agencies at Cabinet Secretary or Deputy Secretary level. No reference to Congressional jurisdiction is indicated. "This significant change in U.S. policy direction is the result of a 90-day fire drill process as ordered by the President that, not surprisingly, lacks balance, clarity and quality in the end product," said Morlock. "People who simply want to take their kids fishing on public waters deserve better from their government," he added. Shimano is joining with other members of the recreational fishing industry to urge anglers to contact their members of Congress and the administration to request this process be required to adopt the economic, conservation and social contributions of recreational fishing as key elements of the policy. It is critical that we ensure Congressional oversight and state jurisdiction and management continues. E-letters can be sent to the administration and members of Congress by visiting http://www.keepamericafishing.org/index.html The future of fishing is in your hands. ###

I received mine last week

Don't foam it back in,when you replace it.The very reason most aluminum tanks fail,is because of the foam.all foam eventually absorbs water,even though it's closed cell. When any water,and especially saltwater,remains in contact with the aluminum tank,it starts the corrosion,and eventually pinhole leaks. When you replace it,mount it,so that it is a bit off the bottom,and sides,so that water isn't permanently in contact with it.This is a huge issue with saltwater boats,that have foamed in tanks. Most high end boat builders have stopped foaming in their tanks,because of this,and have switched to mechanical fastening methods. Here's a good article,on tank installation http://marinesurvey.com/yacht/fueltank.htm

Nice boat recutter. As he said there are aluminum,and then there are real aluminum boats.Check out these by Rock Salt Boats.Go onto videos,and watch the third one down. http://www.rocksaltboats.com/

Yep, that's true,in order for an inflatable to be a valid PFD,it must be worn.If it's sitting in the cabin,or a storage bag,it doesn't count,as a required pfd.

I'd have to agree,that a law requiring people to wear life jackets,is the wrong approach.I suppose that we're lucky that they didn't require it to be all year round.Even with! a pfd on, in those months,you still can suffer from hypothermia. I guess as mentioned it makes the job of picking up your dead body,a tad easier for the Coast Guard. Having said that,I have been trying to get in the habit of wearing my inflatable sospenders.They are very comfortable,it's like your not even wearing them,and they have 35lbs of buoyancy,plenty to keep you afloat,even with wet clothes. I would recommend them for anyone,at least they're comfortable,and may save your life. I can't even imagine having to wear a type 1 or cheapo vest,while fishing.

I put a Jabsco wash down pump in my boat,and so far it works very good.I also hear that Groco is one of the best,but the price is astronomical,compared to the others. I don't know if it's true,but on most of the sites I've checked regarding wash down pumps,Jabsco, seems to get better marks than the Shurflo and Johnson pumps. I would think,however, that all the mid priced pumps,have their fans. I use mine all the time to wash down the blood and slime off the deck.I would be lost without it,and would never have another boat without one. I used the Jabsco PAR-MAX 4 It came with the strainer,nozzle,and assorted fittings.Easy install. It takes a 15amp fuse,pumps 4.3 GPM,self primes to 10',and can run dry without damage.I did some horse trading with a factory rep,so I got it free,but I think they are around $175.00 in most of the marine catalogs. **Try http://www.defender.com/productsearchresult.jsp ** also http://store.hamiltonmarine.com/search.htm Both are nice people to deal with and ship very quick,Kellog, is usually better priced.